Fulling mill



May 5, 1936.

E. CIANNITY` FULLING MILL Filed Dec. 27, 1955 fabric.

Patented May 5, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FULLING MLL Application December 27, 1935, Serial No. 56,346

8 Claims.

The invention relates to fulling mills, and in particular to the crimping box or packing box Within the fulling mill through which the fabric is pushed endwise by the rolls which circulatethe To afford the necessary resistance against forward travel of the roped fabric when fed forward by the rolls, so as to cause the component fibers of the warps to slip or slide lengthwise on each other in order to effect the desired shrinkage and fulling of the goods lengthwise, the crimping box, which is in the form of a trough, is provided with a movable member, the tongue or cover, which so to speak forms vthe fourth side or top of thev box or trough and through its movement toward or. from the bottom of the box or trough varies the effective size of the passage through the box Vor trough available for the egress ofi thefabric crowded into it by the rolls. These covers or tongues are customarily mounted on hinges at theentering end of the box ortrou'gh, andzslant toward the opposing bottom side of the box or trough at their other ends, thus' opposing increasing resistance to the travel therethrough of the roped fabric which naturally forms into zigzagv undulations as forced into the box. To secure uniformity of the crimping or crowdingtogether of the fibers of the fabric under the unavoidable variations in density lofthe crimped rope Of'fabric, the other end of the cover or tongue is leftl free'to rise and'fall in accordance with the thickness of the fabric as forced through, and has hitherto been loaded withan amount of weightsappropriate to exert the desired compressive forcefand resistance to endwise travel.

This useof weights has not been entirely satisfactory, because of the inertia of the weighted parts-and the resultant undesired momentary increa'sesandreductions of the pressure and resistance exerted by the crimping box on the fabric, the effective action losing uniformity as aresult of the jumping and throwing of the weighted parts by the motion of the cover or tongue imparted thereto by the uneven folds of the fabric and by the vibration of the machine. Additionally, the weights are inconvenient, and are prone to become lost ,throughout the long period of the year when light-weight, suitings and the like woolen fabrics are beingrun and only a part of the full complement of weights is being utilized. Further, a continuous gradation of the pressure was not easily obtainable without a multiplicity of separate weights, and the available methods of adding or removing the weights and making all secure against'dropping oif in operation left room for improvement. Also, the relative amount of pressure being obtained was not instantly apparent.

The object of the present invention is to provide an improved device which shall control the action of the crimping box on the fabric in more convenient and simpler manner, render the crimping operation more uniform and constant, and afford a continuous, accurate, and clear indication of the intensity of the crimping action. Other objects of the invention, and their manner of attainment are as will be made plain hereinafter.

To these ends, the invention comprises a crimping box in which the tongue, cover, or other movable member is yieldingly pressed into the box as by a spring, and fluid-pressure-means is employed working through appropriate linkage to adjustably vary thedegree of suchl yielding pressure, either by increasing or diminishing the effective pressure of thespring. The amount of this fluid pressure, which is thusproportional to the intensity of the crimping action, is visually indicated by a pressurevgauge located to be always before the operators eyes, the fluid pressure and the resultant crimping action on the fabric being conveniently and easily controlled and adjusted throughout the entire usable range through a valve located within reach-of the operators station.

An illustrative embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawing, in which:-

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a fulling mill embodying the invention, a part of the casing being broken away to show more clearly the internal parts of the improved device.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the parts of Fig. 1 which are more immediately concerned with the invention.

At I is indicated generally the metallic side frames of the machine, the wooden lining being shown at 3. The fulling rolls 5 on their shafts 1, driven oppositely in unison, together with all the other parts and accessories of the fulling mill apart from the crimping boxes, are or may be as usual or as preferred, since they form no part of the present invention.

The crimping boxes l0, of either metal or wooden construction, are disposed side by side across the width of the machine inthe desired number to match the capacity of the fulling mill, and are in the usual form of troughs each comprising vertical sides l2, embracing the sides of the respective top roll of the individual pairs used herein, and a bottom I4 at right angles to the sides, the bottom sloping away from the rolls 5 and having a raised shoe I6 receiving the rope or widthvvise-gathered string of fabric as fed forward from between the nip of the driven rolls 5.

The covers or tongues I8 comprising the movable members of the crimping boxes, of usual or preferred type, and likewise formed of metal or wood with either plain or corrugated under surfaces, are pivoted by hinges 20 at their ends toward the rolls so as to swingV freely about a transverse shaft 22, which may either be con tinuous across the width of the machine or di-` vided where individual pressure control of two or more boxes or groups of boxes is desired. Shaft 22 is mounted for rotation in bearings 24 in connection with the frames of the machine, and has fixed to it by set-screws 26 arms 28 which `extend partway of the length of the tongues or covers I 8. The free ends .of arms 28 are forked and equipped with swivels 30 having trunnions engaged in bearings in the opposite prongs of the forks, through the loose-fitting central apertures of which swivels extend the connecting rods 32 each of which hasA an eye 34 at its lower end which Vis pivotally connected by a pin 36 with an upstand-v ing lug on a bracket 38 attached to the top surface of each tongue I8. An expanding coil spring 46 surrounds the shank of each Yconnecting rod 32, bearing against the eye 34 of such rod at its lower end and against the under surface of the swivel 30 atits upper end. The upward end of each connecting rod 32 is threaded and equipped with an adjustable stop in the form of a nut 42 and lock-nut 44.V

The end'of the transverse' operating shaft 22 that extends to the outside of the machine, or in the case of a divided shaft each outside end thereof, has fixed to it as by set-screw 46 an actuating arm 48 to the free end of whichis attached, by pin 50, clevis 52 and lock-nut 54, a piston rod 56 entering a fluid-pressure cylinder 58 through a gland 60, and equipped Within the cylinder with a piston 62 packed for 'fluid-pressure actuation in both directions.

Pipes 64, 66, respectively connected to the top and bottom ends of cylinder 58, are respectively and alternately put in communication with pipe 68 connected to a source of fluid under pressure and to a waste pipe 10, or cut off from both pipes, through a four-way valve 'I2 operated by a handle 14 and located near the'front end of the fulling mill. A pressure gauge 16, also located at the front end of the machine, is connected through pipe 'I8l with pipe 64 which admits fluid under pressure from ythe valve to the top `side of the piston Vto depress the piston 62 and through the intervening linkage to apply downward pressure to the tongue or tongues I8.

YIn operation, the valve-handle 'I4 is moved in the proper direction to admitl fluid under pressure through pipe 66 to move the piston 62 upward and thus to cause the arm or arms 28 to exert lifting pressure against the stops 42, thereby pulling upward on the connecting rods 32 and lifting the tongues I8 to the tops of their respective crimping boxes I0 to permit the leading end of the fabric to be threaded through and brought back to the front of the fulling mill for stitching to the other end of the piece. Thereafter, the valve-handle 'I4 is moved reversely` to vent the fluid beneath the piston 62 and admit fluid pressure to the upper end of cylinder 58, thus moving the piston downward and accordingly depressing arm or arms 28, thereby loading the respective springs 40 which p through the lower ends of connecting rods 32 press the tongues I8 down into their proper crimping boxes, compressing the fabric extending therethrough. As the rolls 5 feed the fabric endwise and push it in folded shape through each box, the tongue I8 is forced upward, compressing the spring 40, and thereby reacting, through arm 28 and the intervening linkage, on the piston 62 to increase the fluid pressure at the working top surface of the latter. 'Ihis fluid pressure on the piston is at all times directly proportional to the crimping force being exerted on the fabric, and is accurately and continuously indicated by the pressure gauge 16. Hence it is a matter of the utmost simplicity andconvenience to duplicate every time the exact character of crimping action found by experience to be satisfactory for a given fabric, and to modify this character by increasing or diminishing the intensity of the crimping action wholly as desired or required on the same or different fabrics, merely through manipulation of the valve to increase or reduce the working fluid pressure, with the help of the constant recording of the relative degree of pressure within the crimping box afforded by the pressure gauge 16.

The improved structure through reducing the number and mass of the unsprung moving parts to a minimum succeeds in overcoming inertia and hence the jumping and throwing of the parts adversely affected by motion derived from the travel of the fabric or through Vibration of otherV sorts, thereby substantially improving the uniformity of the crimping action and the quality of the fulling. Where compressed air or other gases are used as the fluid under pressure which works the piston 62, the air confined in the cylinder and pipes 64 and 'I8 acts as a yielding cushion cooperating with the spring 40 to level out still further the extremes of variation in the pressure of the tongue I8 as the latter rises and falls in response to the changes in bulk of the packed fabric, enhancing the averaging action of the spring. 'Ihe action of the spring alone has, however, under all ordinary circumstances been found adequate to permit the use of water under the ordinary service pressures commonly Vexisting in the mains for the actuating fluid.

Where all the crimping Vboxes of a fulling mill are to operate under the same conditions, the actuating means comprising arm 48, piston rod 56, piston 62, and cylinder 58, with their appropriate connections to a single'common valve 12, will be provided at each end of the single shaft 22 extending clear across the fulling mill. When, however, the mill is to be used to full simultaneously different fabrics requiring different degrees of crimping action, the shaft 22 will be interrupted and a separate set of actuating means as described, together with a separate control valve and gauge, will be provided for each box or each pair or group of boxes that are worked from any one of the plurality of shafts 22 thus employed.

While I have illustrated and described a certain form in which the invention may be embodied, I am aware that many modifications may be made therein by any person skilled in the art, without departing from the scope of the invention as expressed inthe claims. Therefore, I do not wish to be limited to the particular form shown, or to the details of construction thereof, but

What I do claim iszy 1. A crimping box for the fulling of fabrics having in combination a box, a tongue swinging into the box, means yieldingly applying pressure ,t

to the tongue in a direction tending to force it into the box, and fluid pressure means adjustably' varying the degree of such yielding pressure.

2. A crimping box for the fulling of fabrics having in combination a trough through which the fabric is pushed, a member mounted with capacity for movement toward and from the fabric occupying the trough, means yieldably applying pressure to such member to move it toward the fabric, and fluid-presSure-controlled means adjustably varying the degree of such pressure against the fabric.

3. A crimping box for the fulling of fabrics having in combination a trough through Which the fabric is pushed, a member mounted with capacity for movement toward and from the fabric occupying the trough, and fluid-pressureoperatcd means yieldingly forcing the said member toward the fabric Within the trough.

4. A crimping box for the fulling of fabrics having in combination a trough through which the fabric is pushed, a member mounted with capacity for movement toward and from the fabric occupying the trough, iiuid-pressure-operated means forcing the said member toward the fabric Within the trough, means for manually controlling the intensity of uid pressure that is a1- loWed to operate, and means registering the intensity of such fluid pressure.

5. A crimping box for the fulling of fabrics having in combination a trough through which the fabric is pushed, a member mounted with capacity for movement toward and from the fabric occupying the trough, fiuid-pressure-operated means yieldingly forcing the said member toward the fabric within the trough, and means registering the relative pressure delivered by the member against the fabric.

6. A crimping box for the fulling of fabrics having in combination a box, a tongue swinging into such box, a spring yieldingly pressing the tongue into the box, and uid-pressure-means adjustably loading the spring.

7. A crimping box for the fulling of fabrics having in combination a box, a tongue swinging into such box, a spring yieldingly pressing the tongue into the box, an arm variably loading the spring, and means variably adjusting the position of the arm to keep the pressure of the spring substantially constant as the fabric changes the position of the tongue.

8. A crimping box for the fulling of fabrics having in combination a box, a tongue swinging into such box, a spring yieldingly pressing the tongue into the box, an arm variably loading the spring, a piston linked to the arm, a uid under pressure Working the piston, a valve controlling the flow of the fluid to and from the piston, and a gauge recording the relative pressure exerted on the piston.

ERNEST CANNITY. 

